SAN BERNARDINO >> After one of the worst practices he’d ever seen, Adrian Klemm was asked how comfortable he felt with his offensive line.

Frustrated, the UCLA assistant coach said he expected to start two or three true freshmen.

After the Bruins started preseason training camp in San Bernardino, Klemm clarified: He meant that two or three of his seven freshmen will compete for, not necessarily win, a spot.

“More often than not, they’re not as technically sound as you’d like them to be,” said Klemm, who was named Pac-12 Recruiter of the Year by both Rivals.com and Scout.com. “We have three or four of those guys that are physically close.

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“We have probably three of them that have a long ways (to go) in terms of body composition. Two that came in pretty poor shape.”

Klemm declined to specify which freshmen fell into which group, but four-star recruit Caleb Benenoch is definitely in the first. The former Michigan State commitment has a chance to start at right guard, where Klemm is currently rotating four different players on first-team reps.

The others in the group are redshirt sophomore Ben Wysocki, and true freshmen Alex Redmond and Scott Quessenberry. Quessenberry came in as a highly touted center, but impressed the staff enough to get a chance at right guard. Settling that battle is a crucial part of improving a line that allowed 52 sacks last season, second-worst in the Pac-12.

Klemm wants to make a decision after five or six practices, adding consistency to a group anchored by All-America guard Xavier Su’a-Filo and sophomore center Jake Brendel.

The tackles also look stronger. Torian White, currently starting on the right side, is up to 290 pounds from 265 last season. Simon Goines struggled with knee injuries for most of last season, and underwent surgery soon after the Holiday Bowl. Blessed with a 6-foot-6, 325-pound frame, he’ll benefit from taking on All-America outside linebacker Anthony Barr.

“Last year, Simon was a deer in the headlights,” head coach Jim Mora said. “This year, he’s a completely different guy. He’s transformed his body.”

The Bruins heard the news at around 2 p.m. Thursday, just a few hours before their afternoon practice. The most highly regarded of UCLA’s four freshmen defensive backs, Willis has played well early on and should be a crucial piece of a secondary that returns no starters.

“He stands out,” Mora said. “He absolutely, positively can play corner at this level. He has the quickness. He has the burst. He’s got the length.”

Riley assisting

Safety Dietrich Riley is still working with the team as an undergraduate assistant. The junior had missed all of last season recovering from neck surgery, and took a medical retirement last month.

“I just think it’s important that we offer him that opportunity to see what he wants to do with his life,” Mora said. “For him to be out here with Tahaan (Goodman), with Tyler Foreman and some of those other (freshmen), it’s pretty selfless to me.

“He had big plans in terms of what his football career was gonna look like. It didn’t work out the way he wanted it. Rather than mourn, he’s just OK.”